bakwerirama: Bakweri Words of Wisdom 30:Nyaaka, asa mbee-ya o-woolo

INTRODUCING BAKWERIRAMA

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By Mola Mbua Ndoko

Nyaaka, asa mbee-ya o-woolo (A cow ceases to be wild when it is inside a canoe)

nyaaka = a cow.
woolo = a canoe.
Ikanje = the Bakweri name for River Mungo.
Mofondo or Mofondo mo Valongi = the Bakweri name for "Mpundu" village
cow
Yasi nanu:
Five Ewonji men came to Wonyavio to buy a "nyaaka". After they had seen all the "nyaaka" that were available for sale they decided to buy a wild nyaaka which belonged to Mola Monge-nya mo Linde. In an attempt by ten persons to catch the nyaaka, it became excited, and ran wild towards Muea, then to Wolifamba wo Lelu, then down to Wokaka, and to Lysoka, then to Ekona Mbenge. At Mautu, the ten men who had been running after the nyaaka caught it when it was struggling to find its way through a thick cluster of strong climbing stems. The.Ewonji men then decided to take the nyaaka to Mofondo and sail with it in a canoe down River Mungo (Ikanje) to the creeks, then to Ewonji. The Wonya-vio men expressed surprise that Ewonji men were taking a grave risk to sail in one canoe with the wild nyaaka.

The Ewonji men laughed, and said:
"Nyaaka asa mbee-ya o-woolo".
(A cow ceases to be wild when it is in captivity inside a canoe).
The Wonyavio men decided to travel with their Ewonji friends to Mofondo and see for themselves, how a wild nyaaka would behave in a canoe.
At Mofondo three Ewonji men and the nyaaka sailed in one canoe, while the five Wonyavio men and two Ewonji men sailed in another canoe.
Throughout the voyage from Mofondo to Ewonji, the nyaaka remained calm, but became wild again at Ewonji as soon as it was pulled out from the canoe to the beach.
Ewonji people explained to the Wonyavio men that since the legs of the nyaaka were tied together before dragging the nyaaka into the canoe, the nyaaka was conscious of the fact that, in the event of an accident it would drown. It was therefore in its own interest to remain calm in captivity inside the canoe. The difficulties in travelling with a nyaaka are on land not at sea.
"Nyaaka asa mbee-ya o-woolo":
Literally:
When in captivity, powerful, arrogant and boastful persons too have to be sober or pretend to be sober.
Oma nanu.

Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa
Tel/Fax: 332-25-35
Mobile/Cell: 986-24-61

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